Summer Sips: 5 Wheat Beers Not to Miss

A big dose of wheat in the grain-bill gives beers a soft fruit flavor and a refreshing zesty crispness. In other words: the perfect summer brew. Here are five favorite wheat beers to have in your fridge when the thirst strikes.

American wheat beers give a nod to traditional German hefeweizens and Belgian witbiers. They can veer toward the banana and clove flavors of the former or the coriander and orange character of the later, but don't always count on it. Many wheat beers forge ahead on their own path.

What is generally true is that wheat bears are made with roughly half wheat and half barley. With some stretching of the imagination, you can get a sense of fresh bread wheatiness beneath the citrus and fruit top-notes. Wheat beers are usually lightly hopped, giving the beer just enough herbal and grassy hop character to ensure a crisp finish. The wheat also gives beer a creamy, milkshake-like quality (especially when left unfiltered) with thick, sturdy head of foam.